By Ross KilvingtonThe Norwegian side may have dominated their own domestic league, winning the Eliteserien four times since 2020, but it took until last season for that form to translate into serious progress in Europe.Reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League, then, was seen as a massive success.Nearly 12 months on from that 5-1 aggregate defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, Glimt find themselves on the verge of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League.Not since Rosenborg reached the quarter-finals of the same competition in the 1996/97 season has a Norwegian side made it to the knockout stages.Heading into the second leg against Inter Milan at the San Siro, having won 3-1 in Norway last week, Glimt are looking to finish the job and seal a place in the last 16.As seismic as that result was, it has become the norm in recent weeks for Glimt to perform against European heavyweights, just ask Manchester City and Atlético Madrid supporters.How then, has a club located 200 miles into the Arctic Circle, been able to pull off such feats recently? It turns out there are a few factors in play.Arctic conditions are a major advantageJust like the Bolivian national team utilise the extreme altitude of La Paz to their advantage, the conditions in Bodø allow the club to have a psychological hold over their European opponents before they even step out on the pitch.The city, with a population of just 54,000 people, can go months in the winter without experiencing sunlight, while in the summer, the sun doesn’t set for weeks on end.When Man City played there in January, the temperature dropped to -9. A few weeks later against Inter, the Italians also struggled to cope with the freezing conditions during their own 3-1 loss.Elite European teams simply haven’t been able to deal with these conditions, thus giving Bodø/Glimt a huge advantage.A strong core of Norwegian players also helps, signifying another reason why the club have outperformed various clubs with much bigger budgets in recent months.Glimt’s domestic dominanceHome grown players offer a unique spiritPSV Eindhoven, Ajax, Napoli, Eintracht Frankfurt and Benfica are all teams who finished below the Norwegian side in the league phase of the Champions League.Collectively, those five teams spent £400m on players during the summer transfer window last year. In comparison, Glimt signed two players for a vast sum of £5m.Furthermore, when you consider the millions that Man City, Atlético and Inter have spent on players in recent years, Glimt’s progress on the continent becomes even more remarkable.Across their 25 man first-team squad, 19 players were born in Norway, with four others from Denmark, building the sort of team spirit required to defeat some of the most successful clubs in Europe.Kasper Høgh is one of the four Danes and he has shone recently. Against City, the 25-year-old scored a brace.He then followed that up with the winner against Atlético a week later. To top things off, Høgh netted the clincher against Inter, scoring a tap in to seal a memorable victory against the Serie A side.Jens Petter Hauge is another who has showcased his talent in this European campaign. The Norwegian winger scored a stunning goal last week, adding to efforts against Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund and Man City.Add in the collective efforts of players such as captain Patrick Berg and defenders Fredrik Bjørkan and Odin Bjørtuft, it becomes clear just how important it is for manager Kjetil Knutsen to forge this exemplary team spirit.While all of these factors have played their part in Bodø emerging as a team primed for more success in Europe, it has been Knutsen who has brought everything together and raised expectations.Kjetil Knutsen is the man behind the successSince taking over at the club in January 2018, Knutsen has led Glimt to four league titles, three runners-up finishes and to the semi-finals of the Europa League.Aside from his first season in the dugout, Bodø have lost just 28 of their 210 league games over the previous seven campaigns.Domestic dominance has now turned into a need for progress in Europe. Nearly making the final of Europe’s second tier competition last year has clearly spurned on the 57-year-old, who led them into the Champions League group stages for the first time.Utilising a fluid 4-3-3 system, the manager encourages his side to press deep in the opposition half, thus drawing comparisons with Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool side.Not only has this philosophy worked wonders domestically, but it is starting to pay off in Europe also.Riding on the wave of that stunning 3-1 win over Inter at the Aspmyra Stadion, a trip to the San Siro is the ultimate test for Knutsen and his men.A two goal-advantage is wonderful, but should they concede early, things could turn quickly.By keeping a cool head and performing like they did the last time they travelled for a Champions League game should see Bodø move into the knockout stages.If so, just how far can the club go? Is a place in the quarter-finals a realistic prospect? Given their performances in the competition since the turn of the year, the sky is the limit for Bodø/Glimt.(Cover image from IMAGO)You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.